Whenever someone tries to dismiss fashion as frivolous, point them in the direction of Dress For Success. A not-for-profit started almost 30 years ago in America, the charity was founded on the premise that clothes can fundamentally change how a person moves through the world. Now, it exists in over 130 countries — including here in Australia.
Servicing women across New South Wales and Canberra, Dress For Success often meets them at their most vulnerable, whether that be from enduring financial hardship, relationship or family trouble, struggles with re-entering the workforce or countless other reasons a woman might find herself in need of support. Along with providing career coaching and resume advice, it was Dress For Success’ styling service that put it on the map.
Using clothes donated by the public and brands, Dress For Success’ styles its clients for major events in their lives, whether it be a job interview or a graduation, teaching them about the transformative power of a good outfit in the process. It’s an ethos that resonates deeply with Meshki, the female-founded fashion company which has just announced an ongoing partnership with the charity.
“We’ve worked with Dress for Success on a smaller scale before, so when we established the Meshki Foundation this year, we wanted to see how we could build on that relationship,” a spokesperson from Meshki told Marie Claire. Developed as part of its social responsibility strategy, the Meshki Foundation seeks to support women at all life stages, with its approach centred on four pillars: education; worker rights; fashion as a force to uplift women; and women’s wellbeing. “Dress for Success felt like a natural partner for the fashion pillar,” Meshki’s spokesperson said.
The Venn diagram of Dress For Success’ objectives and those of Meshki is practically a circle — both are underpinned by the understanding that fashion has the ability to change someone’s life. “For us, this partnership is about putting our belief in fashion as a force to uplift women into practice,” Meshki’s spokesperson said. “Being able to contribute through the skills we use every day, alongside our time and product, is what makes the partnership so meaningful to us.”
Along with providing in-person styling, one-on-one career support, resume development and online Career Hub resources, the partnership will see Meshki’s team volunteer quarterly at the Sydney hub and provide styling training for Dress for Success volunteers. In September, Meshki will also take over the Dress for Success Worldwide Hub — the charity’s digital career resource platform — running two workshops covering interview preparation, CV tips, personal branding and a 48-hour ‘ask an expert’ session, where clients can put their questions directly to the Meshki team.
“We want to build a lasting relationship with Dress for Success and let what we learn from the women taking part shape what comes next,” Meshki’s spokesperson said. If their track records are anything to go buy, Meshki and Dress For Success are set to use fashion to change the world, one power suit at a time.
Watch a preview of the documentary Meshki created in collaboration with Dress For Success here.
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